How Powerful Was Iraq at Its Peak? Even Wealthy Nations Couldn’t Match Saddam’s Four Freebies

The Merits and Faults of the Formidable Saddam

By 2021, Iraq’s economy had finally returned to its 2001 levels, nearly two decades after the Iraq War.

Despite the recovery, the Iraqi economy remains unstable, and the people continue to endure severe hardships.

It’s fair to say that since the fall of Saddam’s regime, the Iraqi people have scarcely known a normal life.

1. Iraq’s “Golden Era”

Regardless of our views on Saddam himself, it’s undeniable that Iraq’s “Golden Era” began after he came to power.

Prior to him, the Hashemite royal family, essentially a British puppet, ruled and Iraqis barely benefited from the country’s oil wealth.

After the overthrow of the Hashemites, the Arif brothers came to power, who, although Kurds and holding power in Baghdad, leaned towards their Kurdish brethren, leaving the majority of Iraqis struggling in poverty.

It was only after the Ba’ath Party came to power that things started to change slightly.

During the first 11 years of the Ba’ath rule, Saddam was not yet the president, but President Bakr was very much under his influence, with…